The calm after the storm: the VoloMedia podcasting patent

Like a lot of my podcasting brethren, I was concerned about the announcement from VoloMedia regarding their “podcasting patent” on July 29. But since I was madly trying to meet a slew of deadlines, I decided to fret about it later. Well, fortunately, I waited so long that no worrying is needed. (Maybe there’s a lesson there!)

My friend and fellow Podcast Asylum “Professor” Sallie Goetsch has produced an excellent blog post on this kerfuffle as well as a first-rate audio report, which I first heard on For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report. Her research reveals that VoloMedia has apparently patented a podcatcher; they are not trying to patent podcasting.

Thank you, dear Sallie, for reading the patent and contacting the VoloMedia PR people to clear this up. Sadly, the whole thing would not have become such a contentious issue if the VoloMedia people had taken more care in crafting their news release and its inflammatory headline. Maybe a lesson learned for them?

Comments

[author-izer]

Thanks for the plug, Donna. I should get you a more recent photo of me, though, since people apparently entirely fail to recognize me now that I have red hair!

[Donna Papacosta]

Yes, please send. I loved your hair when I saw you in June in SFO. I guess I could have gone to Flickr to find some of those FIR dinner photos... but I didn't. ;-)
Cheers,
d

[Victoria Fenner]

this reminds me of another storm when a large organization was trying to claim a term in common use as its own. It was back just before the Calgary Olympics. The organizers were busily harassing every little Olympic Pizza Parlour to make them change their name, citing trademark infringement ..